Museum gallery reopens following major redisplay
(9 Nov. 2024)

In early November 2024, the museum closed its doors for a week whilst an exciting redisplay of the 20th and 21st century works within our main gallery took place.
As part of the redisplay, over a third of the museum’s gallery was rehung, with fourteen recently acquired acquisitions placed on display for the first time and the number of works by women artists in the gallery also increased by more than a third.

Amongst the new stained glass exhibits that can now be seen are artworks by Arts and Crafts pioneer Christopher Whall, Scottish modernist Douglas Strachan and leading Irish expressionist Evie Hone, modern post war German craftsmen such as Johannes Schreiter and Joachim Klos, as well as contemporary painter Hughie O’Donoghue RA and glass artist Grace Ayson. Supplementing the new 20th and 21st century displays are some beautiful 17th century domestic and heraldic pieces, enhancing the museum’s chronological permanent gallery which includes examples from the medieval period through to the present day.

The museum closed for a week in November to enable the redisplay, which was generously funded by The Headley Trust. The works were carried out by the museum’s small team of staff with carpentry assistance from local firm Coulsons, and bespoke metal frames provided by Neil Wilton of The Stained Glass Display Company.

This is the largest redisplay The Stained Glass Museum has undertaken since the present gallery opened in the south triforium of Ely Cathedral in 2000. We are really pleased to have been able to showcase some of the recent acquisitions we have made to enhance and diversify the collection.

An online exhibition showcasing all of the newly displayed pieces can also be viewed on our free digital guide with Bloomberg Connects

more news